Sunshine Anderson Returns With New Album

R&B vocalist Sunshine Anderson will release her sophomore disc, "Sunshine at Midnight," in January via her label, Shining Star Incorporated, and Matthew Knowles' Music World company.

R&B vocalist Sunshine Anderson will release her sophomore disc, "Sunshine at Midnight," in January via her label, Shining Star Incorporated, and Matthew Knowles' Music World company. Dr. Dre and Raphael Saadiq are among the album's producers.

A video for lead single "Something I Wanna Give You" will be shot next month in Los Angeles by director Gil Green and a second single is expected in November.

Anderson, who joined Knowles' label in August 2004, says the new offering is intentionally devoid of guest features. "It's been a long time so we just want everyone to focus on Sunshine again," the Charlotte, N.C., native tells Billboard.com. "My vocals are raw and honest and pure, with a lot of emotion. So vocally not much has changed, but I've grown as a businesswoman. I'm more involved in this project and I was a little more inspired this time."

Album cuts include "Force of Nature" and "My Problems," which was produced by Dr. Dre. "That song is just about everyday life -- a young lady who lost her job, her boyfriend's been locked up, she's got two kids but the rent is still due," says Anderson. "She's talking about how bad she feels and she wishes she could just smoke and drink her problems away."

Another track, the Saadiq-helmed "Wear the Crown," is more personal to Anderson. "It's about this girl who's kind of overwhelmed when this guy walks into the Waffle House one day," she laughs. "She's just like, 'You make me feel like that I can wear the crown, that I'm the new queen in town.'"

"Sunshine at Midnight" will be the follow-up to Anderson's 2001 Soulife/Atlantic debut "Your Woman," which bowed at No. 5 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 487,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It spawned the single "Heard It All Before," which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.